Why flamingos are so colourful
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (371163)
Rockingham, Australia
January 29, 2025 7:05pm CST
Did you know that flamingos are not born pink?
Their newly-hatched plumage is a light grey. Their main foods – blue-green algae, brine shrimp, larvae – all contain carotenoids which are red, yellow and orange pigments. These carotenoids eventually find their way into the skin, feathers, beaks and legs, turning them varying shades of pink, orange and red. The actual colour depends on their diet. When zoo-keepers found the colour in their flamingos fading, they supplemented their diet with a synthetic red dye.
Carotene is responsible for the orange colour of carrots. I’ve heard of instances where truckloads of reject carrots were dumped in a paddock for a mob of horses. After some time, the dung from the horses took on an orange tinge.
I don’t have a photo of a flamingo but I do have one of a very excited horse getting rid of some of his energy.
8 people like this
8 responses
@snowy22315 (202614)
• United States
30 Jan 25
That is pretty interesting. I heard that somewhere about the flamingos but I had forgotten it until you had brought it up
3 people like this
@JudyEv (371163)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 25
And @DaddyEvil gives examples of other birds whose eating habits influence the colour of their plumage. We had one horse that didn't like white cows. We had also most Herefords but Dad bought a mixed bunch which included a white one. This horse was not impressed! 
2 people like this
@allknowing (153627)
• India
30 Jan 25
That is an interesting find Was it the work of AI?
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153627)
• India
30 Jan 25
@JudyEv I I became nostalgic when you talked about Readers' Digest. We gave it up just a few years ago. We had a subscription for yers.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (371163)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 25
@allknowing We don't get it any more. It was a good magazine but we found we weren't reading it so we stopped our subscription.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (82757)
• United States
30 Jan 25
I was gonna say, that’s a VERY ugly flamingo. 
(but a very beautiful horse!)
No, I didn’t know that about flamingos. I can believe it about the carrots and the poop, given what corn does to our systems….
(but a very beautiful horse!)
No, I didn’t know that about flamingos. I can believe it about the carrots and the poop, given what corn does to our systems….2 people like this
@FourWalls (82757)
• United States
30 Jan 25
@JudyEv — is that his natural coat color and marking or is that “wear and tear” on his coat from saddles?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (371163)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 25
@FourWalls He's been clipped. He is an endurance horse and they clip areas so they don't sweat so much. They dry quicker if/when they wash them down at checkpoints.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (129232)
• Marion, Ohio
30 Jan 25
That was interesting. Never heard about that
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (167357)
• United States
30 Jan 25
I knew that about flamingos. I love their red coloring.
Other birds, like the Northern Cardinal and goldfinches get their plumage colors from the dogwood berries they eat.
There are also some South American birds that eat poisonous beetles and use the poison in their feathers to protect them from predators and parasites. (The hooded pitohui and the blue-capped ifrita.) If caught and handled by a human, the poison can cause burns and blisters.
I always find stuff like this interesting. 
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (167357)
• United States
30 Jan 25
@JudyEv When I think of something and am curious, I look it up... I like learning new things.
1 person likes this
